The dome, constructed by the FNAS Instrumentmakery Workshop and funded by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) through the National Research Foundation (NRF), houses the Mahikeng 20-inch optical telescope.

The telescope is equipped with an SBIG AC4040 large-format CMOS camera and is used for astronomical research, including the study of pulsating stars through multicolour observations and the detection and investigation of transiting exoplanets.